Thill-coupling.



No. 747,038. PATENTED DEC. 15,1903."

G. C. BRADLEY.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1a, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

.rzn

.Patented December 15, 1903.

lPnrnwr @rrieni CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

THILL CQUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,038, dated December 15, 1903.

Application filed June 18, 1903. Serial No. 161,962. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER O. BRAD- LEY, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thin-Couplings,

of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings, and refers more particularly to the coupling-pin and a special packing to be used in connection therewith.

The primary object of this invention is to interpose a leather or equivalent packing between the draft-eye and coupling-pin. in such manner as to prevent contact of the metal parts,and thereby avoid abrasion and rattling of the coupled parts.

Another object is to provide the couplingpin with a packing which is free to rock or turn on the pin and upon which the draft-eye is also free to rock laterally when strained to such a condition without rocking the packing endwise.

Other advantages will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a thill-coupling embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coupling-pin end of the thill-iron, showing the packing thereon. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the packing rewound. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4, Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the detached packing and the spring-clamp for holding it compressed.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

A hollow substantially spherical packing 1, of leather or equivalent material, is split 1ongitudinally at 2 and is formed with open truncated ends 3 and a substantially central annular groove 4 in its periphery. This packing is pressed into the form just described while moist and is allowed to dry while under pressure, so that when it is removed from the dies it will retain its form and may be readily applied to the coupling-pin for which it is intended.

In the present instanoeI provide a thilliron 5 with a coupling-pin 6, which is formed With a substantially spherical surface 7 and with annular shoulders 8 at the opposite ends or poles of the spherical portion 7. The packing 1 is sprung open and is placed over and uponthe spherical portion 7 of the coupling between the ann ular flanges or shoulders 8, with its truncated ends or shoulders 9 abutting against the inner faces of said flanges, and slightly overhangs the peripheries of the same, so as to prevent endwise or lateral rolling movement of the packing on the spherical portion 7. This packing is somewhat thicker than the depth of the flanges 8, and therefore the inner face of the drafteye which engages said periphery is held out of contact with the coupling-pin and prevents friction between the metal parts, while at the same time the packing may rock or roll laterally in the draft-eye without liability of twistingordistortingthepacking. Theouter surface of the packing is spherical and is formed with the substantially central annular groove 4, in which is sealed a split spring 10, which serves to compress the packing on the coupling-pin and to hold it from distending or accidental displacement.

The draft-eye which receives the couplingpin with the packing thereon is shown as composed of a fixed jaw 11 and movable jaw 12, both of which are formed with partially spherical sockets 13 of substantially the same curvature as the outer surface of the packing and closely fitting upon the same when drawn together. nected and drawn together in any desired manner; but forconvenience I have shown the movable jaw 12 as hinged to the front end of the fixed jaw and as drawn into engagement with the packing by means of a link 14, lever 15, and spring 16, the operation of which may be clearly understood upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings without further description. The opposite ends of the draft-eye are open, and these openings are of greater diameter than the cylindrical ends of the coupling-pin, so as to further avoid any liability of contact or friction between the metal parts.

It is apparent from the description and drawings that the clamping of the jaws upon the packing causes the latter to fit sn ugly upon the coupling-pin, and the frictional engaging surface of said jaws upon the packing being These jaws may be con-' somewhat greater than that upon the coupling-pin said packing will be held rigid, while the coupling-pin may be free to rock on its axis in the packing as the thills are raised and lowered vertically; but,on the other hand, should there be any tendency to rock the couplingpin or draft-eye endwise with relation to each other the packing and draft-eye will be free to rock one upon the other,while the co uplingpin and packing will maintain the same relation to eachother by reason of the engagement of the shoulders 8 with the inner annular shoulders of the packing. To remove the packing, it is simply necessary to spring the ends of the spring-ring apart and remove the same, whereupon the packing may be removed in a similar manner.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In 'a thill-coupling, a draft-eye having spherical bearing-surfaces, a couplingpin, and a packing encircling the coupling-pin and provided with a spherical outer surface seated in the draft-eye, the coupling'pin and packing having interlocking shoulders to prevent the endwise rocking movement of the latter parts upon each other.

2. In a thill-coupling, a coupling-pin having a spherical bearing-surface and annular fianges'at diametrically opposite ends of said surface, and a packing fitting over and upon the spherical surface between said flanges,

in combination with adraft-eye inclosing the packing.

3. In a thill-coupling, a coupling-pin having a spherical bearing-surface and annular flanges at diametrically opposite ends of said surface, and a'packing fitting over and upon the spherical surface between said flanges and having a spherical outer surface, in combination with a draft-eye having spherical bearing-surfaces fitting over and upon the similar outer surface of the packing.

4:. In'a thill-couplin'g, a coupling-pin having a spherical surface and annular flanges, a split spherical packing fitting over and upon the spherical surface and having truncated ends abutting against said flanges and a draft-eye encircling the packing.

5. In a chill-coupling, the combination with a draft-eye having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, both having inner spherical bearingsurfaces, a draft-eye having a spherical bearing-surface and V-shape flanges, and a spherical packing having diametrically opposite end openings and split through one side from end to end, said packing being formed with shoulders engaging said flanges. V

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this th day of June, 1903.

CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

HOWARD PQDENISON, MILDRED M. NOTT. 

